Mauna Kea's days of fun and beauty gone

Anyone remember when there was no observatory road to Mauna Kea's summit? Remember hiking all the way to the top — as I did as a kid? Seeing Lake Waiau with its winter cap of ice? Watching wekiu bugs scurry around the rocks? Remember the awe-inspiring views when you finally reached the summit? A clear, windless day when you could hear the mountain speak — and your own heart beat?

Try to listen now. The summit drones with generators, air conditioners and rotating metal domes.

Remember driving to where snowdrifts blocked the road? Everybody sledding on boogey boards or cardboard? Making Mauna Kea shave ice with Malolo fruit punch syrup? Now you have to call to see if the gate is open. After big snowfalls, you're lucky to get access even after several days.

Remember when it was our mountain, for those of us born and raised here? Now people from the Mainland and foreign countries control the mountain — always pushing for more telescopes and limits on our access. The astronomers have forgotten they are our guests, not the other way around.

Some of our own kama'aina — members of DLNR's Land Board, UH Board of Regents and Congress — have allowed, even encouraged, all this to happen. Don't they remember how the mountain used to be? Have their economic, political and university ambitions clouded their memories? Why aren't they speaking up for us?

Our state motto says, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." Can these officials really believe what's happened to Mauna Kea is righteous?

No. And it's up to us to let them know that.

Legislation would help the homeless

The reduction of Section 8 housing subsidies and its impact on Hawai'i's poorest families, as reported in The Advertiser on Feb. 9, should be of major concern to all of us.

I believe that a reduction of $800,000 will be disastrous for the families who depend on this subsidy. Those who are unable to receive the vouchers, or receive reduced vouchers, will probably lose their rental units. That means more and more families will end up homeless, living on the streets, in parks and on beaches.

In my district of Nanakuli, the news of this reduction was particularly devastating. For example, one of my constituents told me she and her three children will probably become homeless. She is barely getting by now, and if she had to pay more toward rent, the other needs of the family could not be met. I appreciated that The Advertiser's story was not just about the numbers but about the impact on real people who stand to lose their homes and their dignity.

I want to draw attention to House Bill 1303, also known as the Omnibus Housing Bill. It increases funding to help the homeless, and provides incentives to build affordable homes and increase the supply of affordable rentals. It also establishes measurable goals to determine whether more of Hawai'i's homeless are being served and transitioned to permanent housing.

Hawaiians are an endangered species

I am responding to David Rosen's response to David Shapiro (Volcanic Ash commentary, Feb. 2). Considering that there are those who are anti-Hawaiian, that response was not surprising. Thank you, Mr. Shapiro.

Hawaiians are still enduring institutionalized racism and its effects. Furthermore, Hawaiian children and their colleagues are not on equal ground to begin with. As indigenous people, we deal with theft, misuse or displacement of our land, devastation to our environment and natural resources, health problems, poverty and other factors.

Ironically, to further his propaganda, and believing that Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy was discriminatory, Rosen made a reference in 2003 hypothesizing about Harvard giving preference to whites.

Harvard's founding purpose was to educate American Indian youths. It was established in 1650, and in 1654, Indian College was built. It is very different now. This is very similar to Kamehameha Schools, except thanks to Judge Alan Kay and the IRS, that legacy will continue.

According to the census, there are about 476,000 of us. Frankly, Hawaiians are an endangered species.

You call it segregationism; we call it survival.

There are many good Democrats to fit bill

Jerry Burris' Focus column of Feb. 27 implied that we need a "perfect Democrat" to run against Gov. Linda Lingle, and that is difficult. Not so. Lingle is not a good representative for Hawai'i in her subservience to President Bush and calling him "the greatest president in our history."

We need an upright person who will speak for Hawai'i and all of us Americans here. We have many good Democrats who fit that bill. The Republicans have betrayed us over and over.

Republicans should keep beefs private

What is it with Hawai'i's Republicans? They claim to support University of Hawai'i autonomy but seem intent on interfering with the internal affairs of the university.

First, we have Sen. Fred Hemmings publicly demanding that the university president prevent an invited speaker from making a presentation, and then we have Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona publicly calling for the university to ban the sale of alcohol on campus and to end liquor manufacturers' sponsorship of UH sports.

Regardless of the merits of the actions requested, it is inappropriate for elected officials to use their "bully pulpit" to pressure the university to do their bidding.

Instead of political grandstanding, the senator and lieutenant governor could have made their views on these matters known to Interim President David McClain privately. In his tenure at the university, Dr. McClain has given every indication that he is a good listener, and there is no reason to believe that such private communications would not have received due consideration.

Dumping effluent into the ocean must stop

The recent news of boat sewage fouling Maui's shoreline was disgusting and shocking since I just got back from Maui and was on a whale-watching boat.

Why is there not a state law requiring septic trucks at all harbors until our state finally builds pump-out facilities they have promised for years? Why is it still legal to dump effluent into our ocean?

What is our state Department of Land and Natural Resources doing to try to fix this huge problem of using our ocean as a cesspool? Am I the only one in this state who thinks swimming in a vile ooze floating on the surface of what should be crystal-clear waters is a major problem?

Let's use the money from our unredeemed 5-cent-a-can deposits to hire septic trucks for all harbors.

Let dogs have fun

Regarding letter writer Cristina Andrews' concern for dogs ("Enforce law against dogs in pickup beds," Feb. 21):

Over a period of 70 years, I have watched many unrestrained dogs joyfully riding in the backs of trucks and have never seen or heard of one falling out. The dogs who love to ride in that fashion don't need to be boxed in or tied down for their, or anyone else's, safety. Too bad the dogs can't communicate with those who think otherwise.

Aaron Mahi among greats in Royal Hawaiian Band

I have known Aaron Mahi as both a classmate at Kamehameha High School, class of 1971, and as a fellow musician in Hawai'i for the past 38 years. My affiliation with the Royal Hawaiian Band is very deep and goes back to the days when my father, Kenneth Franklyn Kamakahi, a young trombonist out of McKinley High School, became a trombonist in the mid-1950s under bandmaster William Baptiste. I grew up with band members as my extended 'ohana, and the music they produced was the voice of an era of Hawaiian history deeply etched in my memory.

As a toddler, I remember sitting on my Dad's trombone case during rehearsals and concerts and being surrounded by the most beautiful music this side of heaven. I remember hearing bandmaster Earle Christoph comment with affection to the band, saying "Oh, the keiki is here with us today." My bond with the band has always been and will continue to be the fondest of all the memories of my childhood as well as of my father.

The accomplishments of the Royal Hawaiian Band under bandmaster Aaron Mahi have far exceeded many of its past conductors, except for that of Henry Berger. I consider Mahi one of the most important conductors of the Royal Hawaiian Band, a list that includes Berger, Mekia Kealakai, Charles E. King and Domenico Moro. Under Mahi's leadership, not only has the musicianship improved, but he has instilled the most important aspect to the band, Hawaiian tradition.

Mahi is no slouch either when we talk of his musical schooling. An outstanding musician at the Kamehameha Schools, he proceeded to the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, Conn. He received a gold baton from his conducting teacher, who had received it in Russia from his teacher in recognition for his skill of conducting. His fluency in the Hawaiian language and culture, his understanding of German and his qualification as a musical conductor have been the means by which the Royal Hawaiian Band has reached, once again, the position of the highest recognition in the Hawaiian community and around the world.

I agree totally with columnist Bob Krauss; why would the mayor even consider replacing someone who has built up the band to the stature of what it is today?

City taxes should match the need

I want to address some inconsistencies in the Advertiser editorial and the mayor's State of the City address that demanded sacrifice from property taxpayers and a rise in fees to solve our city's budget problems.

Both The Advertiser and the mayor neglect to examine the nexus that should prevail when we discuss taxes and services funded by those taxes. We must establish such a nexus to ensure fairness in taxation policy, and to create a system whereby those who use the services pay for them. This should hold true for most government services except those designed to benefit the general community welfare or those that assist the indigent.

By far the largest single source of revenues for Honolulu is property taxes, accounting for just less than half of city tax revenues ($435 million in 2004). It seems entirely appropriate that these monies be spent on public safety and general government, since it is often property owners who are the primary recipients of police, fire and city administrative services.

Sewer fees also seem to satisfy the nexus argument. However, in 2004, sewer fees generated over $110 million in gross revenues, while paying only $90 million in expenses (including debt services). This excess allowed a surplus to build up that was apparently raided by the Harris administration to pay for general fund expenses. This has left the sewer fund without the money it needs to fund necessary improvements to an aging and decrepit infrastructure.

We obviously need to improve our sewage system, but since the last mayor is no longer able to raid the sewer funds, do we need more than $110 million per year to fund the necessary sewer improvements? How long must we pay these extra sewer fees before we can move from a capital projects emphasis to a maintenance mode? Is the current fee structure based on water use fair to those in dry areas whose irrigation water never enters the sewage stream?

The fuel tax is another tax that would appear to be an appropriate tax. Fuel taxes generate around $50 million yearly, yet the city spent only $15 million on highways and roads in 2004. Does the current administration need more than $50 million per year to undertake the kind of road repairs that we are all demanding? If so, shouldn't an increase in vehicle weight taxes and fuel taxes be used to pay for these improvements, rather than property taxes?

Should our solid-waste and recycling programs be paid for through property taxes? I would argue that if people are not paying for these programs directly, they are more apt to abuse them. I would also contend that the current solid-waste tipping fees are too low given the cost of developing a new landfill. If the mayor wants to provide a benefits package for the community that must accept this locally undesirable land use, these benefits should not be paid from property taxes but from user fees. By establishing trash-pickup fees and more appropriate tipping fees, people would be encouraged to reduce, reuse or recycle.

I don't think most people mind paying their share, but the tax or fee should be fairly distributed and appropriate to the need.